RACE HAVING EXPANDING INTEREST CROSS COUNTRY SERIES MORE POPULAR.

Byline: Julio Cortez Staff Writer

VALENCIA - With a big new parking lot and construction of buildings throughout the College of the Canyons campus, it is obvious the school's famed Summer Cross Country Series would expand as well.

The Summer Cross Country Series, which started its six-week, Thursday-evenings run July 11, is getting a lot of participants early in its 29th year of offering runners a chance to compete in a friendly atmosphere.

The attendance is up this year because awareness of the series is growing throughout the community. According to Canyons cross country coach Lindie Kane, last year's average participation rate was 160-170 runners. This year, the event featured 157 runners on the series opener two weeks ago and 197 at last week's race.

By contrast, last year's season finale - the race that brings many out to the track because it determines the top three medal winners in the age categories and the overall male and female finisher - drew about 200 runners.

``It's great,'' Kane said. ``What I did this year was, before the end of the school year, I sent out fliers to all the local high schools. We have a lot of Monroe (of North Hills) and Poly (of Sun Valley) runners participating. We also have a lot of the regulars who have been running the series for 29 years.''

Normally the large crowd of runners does not get together until the latter part of the series.

``We didn't expect to have this many participants right at the beginning,'' Canyons assistant cross country coach Louie Bernal said.

The top male finisher for the first two three-mile races was 18-year-old Manuel Ruiz, who ran 15:51 and 15:37 the first two weeks, respectively. On the female side, Ana Gjesdal, 20, won the series opener at 18:46, nearly a minute faster than former series champion Anissa Seguin, 30, who ran 19:34. Seguin, though, redeemed herself by winning last week's race in 19:27.

Although Ruiz, Gjesdal and Seguin lead a fast pace up front, the series is attracting a lot of slower-pace runners.

``The thing we say is that anyone can do it,'' Kane said. ``It doesn't matter if they walk it. It's becoming a big community event with some people finishing at the 48s. We are trying to get something with a walk before or after the race.''

The races have the similar look of last year. The course starts at the lower end of the campus and crosses to the back of the school before hitting part of the old cross-country trail and finishing inside the football stadium.

The new look was designed after last year's construction of a parking lot on the south part of the campus ran through most of the original cross- country trail.

``We had to stay with this trail because we didn't get the other trails due to the constructions,'' Bernal said. ``We will eventually go back to our original trail.''

Kane added: ``It doesn't matter if there is construction going on. We will blaze a trail anywhere.''

Kane is happy with the turnout because it helps her promote new athletes to her Canyons cross country and track and field programs.

Juan Guzman and Daniel Guido, Monroe graduates, are among the top newcomers to the Cougar cross country team. Guzman finished 11th place two weeks ago before finishing fifth last week. Guido finished the first race in 18:02 and shaved 30 seconds off that time last week.